Pub crawlers celebrate Amherstburg style

It started out as a small group of friends meeting up to catch up on old times during the holidays.

Ten years later the small group of friends that met together has blossomed into an annual Boxing Day tradition know as the Amherstburg Pub Crawl.

Pub crawlers gather for a group picture at the Royal Canadian Legion on Boxing Day. At its peak roughly 200 people attended the 10th Annual Amherstburg Pub Crawl.

Bryson Parks, one of the original founders of the Amherstburg Pub Crawl said the social gathering started when a group of his friends arrived home for the holidays after being away at school for the first time 10 years ago.

“We all met up at Caldwell Grant’s and shared a few pints after not seeing each other for months,” said Parks.

After having a few drinks at Caldwell Grant’s, Parks said the group decided to do something different and have a drink at the Royal Canadian Legion just down the street.

“We just wanted to go to a place that we normally wouldn’t go,” explained Parks.

After the Legion, the group finished the night at Shooter Roadhouse.

“The first Amherstburg Pub Crawl started out with three bars, now we try to included every bar in town,” said Parks. “We wanted to stay in town and spend our money here.”

Parks said he had no idea that a few friends getting together 10 years ago would have transformed into a massive social gathering that attracts close to 200 pub crawlers at its peak.

Although Parks is the original founder of the pub crawl CJ Jaques, Charlie Simpkins and Ryan Raymond have since joined the fray to help promote the event and pass along the word.

“With Facebook and Twitter, it’s much easier to advertise and let people know what’s going on,” said Simpkins.

The night began roughly at 6 p.m. at Callard’s Bar and Grill then moved it’s way onto Dalhousie St. where the Royal Canadian Legion, Duffy’s Lord Amherst, Caldwell Grant’s awaited them before having a drink at The Mexican Grill and finishing the night off at Shooter’s Roadhouse.

Parks said the group even made up official Amherstburg Pub Crawl T-shirts, with the all the proceeds being donated to the Legion. This year they donated $220 to the Legion. Last year they donated the money to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (M.A.D.D.)

“It’s more than a bunch of people going out and drinking,” said Jaques. “A lot of the people that come out are people that you don’t see very often because they have moved away for school or moved on in life.”

There are only two rules that the group is adamant about with the first rule being to have fun and the second being no drinking and driving.

“No one drinks and drives,” said Raymond. “Everyone walks or takes a cab.”